Sick Day
by RadicalRae
Summary: For once, it's Sebastian that is the one struck down by illness...and Finny. Rated for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Just a little blip that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it out. Even Sebastian has to be weak every once and a while, right?**

 **0000**

He hadn't really slept - not that that was unusual, demons didn't need sleep anyway - but he'd dozed off in the chair of his bedroom, blinking fatigue from his eyes before stretching. It wasn't until after he stood up that the nausea hit him, followed quickly after by a painful throbbing at the back of his head and the familiar feeling of a sore throat. He attempted to speak, dismayed to find that his usually smooth voice was scratchy and hoarse, and just the act of speaking brought pain ripping through his throat.

The demon stepped up to the mirror hung on the wall, taking in his paler than normal face and the darkness under his eyes. He swept back his raven black hair and frowned at his traitorous reflection; the others would certainly notice his appearance, if his voice didn't give it away immediately. With a sigh he decided to simply ignore his ill-health and go on with the day. Ciel would be waking soon, and the young earl would need his morning tea in order to function properly. Not to mention he still needed to wake the other three servants, and find out where Tanaka would be this fine morning.

He bathed quickly, and dressed with the same speed, pressing down his collar in place as he walked down the hallway towards the servant quarters, pausing only once to check his reflection in a small mirror in the hallway, wincing at his even paler face. How had he gotten to look worse in such little time? With a deep breath, and a moment to fix his hair into a much neater look, he entered the servants quarter to rouse the three trouble making idiots.

He didn't speak as he gently shook Finny to wake him, knowing the gardener would be concerned immediately. Sebastian turned to wake Bard and Mey-Rin, shaking his head at the kgmaid's eccentric yelling. As he left the room, he couldn't help but to rub at his neck, the sore feeling in his throat irritating him more than he wanted to admit.

Making Ciel's breakfast and tea went uninterrupted, although he had to pause in cooking to step outside when the ache at the back of his head became too much to bear.

He paused at the door to the young earl's room, tongue darting out to wet his lips before he opened the door and stepped in. The boy was already awake, although he was obviously dozing among his pillows and blankets. The demon hummed as he rolled the trolley up to the side of the bed, smiling down at his young master.

"Breakfast today is fresh strawberries and watermelon, served with Earl Grey and fresh baked bread." Ciel glanced in surprise at his butler, noting how ill he seemed, and frowned as the demon handed him a steaming cup of tea.

"Are you not well?" He questioned softly, not wishing to offend the demon with his usual rude tone of voice. "You sound terrible, and you don't look well either."

Sebastian forced his smile to stay in place, and shook his head slightly. He cursed this stupid illness, and went about giving the young earl his breakfast.

"It'll be gone by midday, young master. A servant's personal matters are of no importance to you, so please don't worry yourself." Ah, but worry the young boy would. By the way the butler's eyes scrunched up speaking was painful. A part of him wanted to tell Sebastian just to go and rest, but he wasn't sure if the other three servants could be trusted to take on the demon's chores.

"...very well. Something blue to wear today would be appreciated, and I want my midday meeting with that Irish man canceled. Lizzie wanted to come over today..." He trailed off, focusing on his food and tea, and not on the guilt he felt for ordering the obviously sick butler around.

Once dressed, he dismissed Sebastian and strode over to his study. Ciel glared down at all the business reports, unable to focus with the thoughts of his demon. _Could_ demons even get sick? Was that possible, or was there a different reason behind his butler's sudden change of voice and appearance? Surely at least Finny noticed, and perhaps Mey-Rin as well...

A knock at the door had the earl straightening and calling out a come in. Tanaka poked his head in and then continued in, folding his arms behind his back.

"Young master, I was wondering if you perhaps noticed Sebastion's being ill. I've already suggested he take a short reprieve, but he is adamant that he go on. I hate to be a bother..."

"You're worried about his health..." Ciel sighed, pushing all his paperwork off to the side. "So am I. What do you suggest we do?" Tanaka strode forward to lean over the young earl's desk and tell him what, exactly, they needed to do.

And they needed Mey-Rin for the plan to work.

0000

Sebastian leaned against a wall in the library, taking deep breaths in hopes of calming the pounding in his head, as well as his rising nausea. He'd taken bullets to the head before, had once had a sword go through his chest, had even been trampled by horses, and _this_ of all things is what knocks him off his feet?

Perhaps he's losing his touch? Maybe he should join the Undertaker and just retire. He could open a sweets shop. Or a bakery. Of course, he'd have to finish the contract first...

"Sebastian!"

"Mey-Rin?" The butler turned to frown at the red headed woman, pushing his thoughts of retirement off to the side. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, grabbing the demon by the wrist to transom drag him up the stairs. "The young master was calling for you, yes he was! He's worried that maybe you ran away o-or that something happened to you!" Sebastian sighed and followed after the maid. Had the boy really called for him, and had he really not heard him?

He really was losing his touch...

"Sebastian!" Ah, the young earl was standing at the top of the stairs, looking quite annoyed with the demonic butler. "This is an order..."

The demon perked up, wondering what hapless fool had dared get in his master's way, and what he'd be allowed to do them.

"Take the rest of the evening off or until you're healthy enough to work. The others can do the rest of your work."

"Y-young master?"

" **Now** , Sebastian."

"Y-yes, my Lord." With a hesitant bow the demon hurried (while trying not to seem hurried) past Ciel and down the hall, going towards his bedroom. He was more than a little surprised by the fact that the feisty human had simply wanted to get him to rest, and the order had been so simple...there were plenty of loopholes if he wished to go back to work but...

He'd really been wanting to finish that romance novel Mey-Rin had given him, and this was an excellent time to do so.

 **0000**

 **So this is gonna end up being a two shot, maybe more (if encouraged). I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes and if any of the characters seem off. As always, feedback is appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Feedback is appreciated! Second part of sick day.**

 **0000**

Demons don't need sleep. It was a luxury, and a major waste of time for a creature that needed absolutely nothing. However...it was very nice to occasionally indulge in sleep. To simply lay and rest ones head on the pillow and just relax in a dark, quiet room; it was good for the mind.

Sebastian stirred, blinking hazy red eyes in an attempt to shake away the grasping tendrils of sleep. He stretched and went to sit up, wincing at the sore feeling in his throat and the slow throb of pain in his head. His internal clock told him it was sometime in the evening, probably close to his young master's bedtime. He was alright - the contract told him that much - so the demon relaxed back the mountain of vanilla scented pillows and picked up the book on his nightstand.

He felt slightly guilty for abandoning the book halfway through, as Mey-Rin had given it to him because, as she claimed, she'd never seen anyone actually give the butler a gift. He'd been touched by the kindness of the maid, and had made it a goal to finish the book (even though it was awful and the plot tired and over used), simply because she'd given it to him.

Ah, listen to him; he was going soft like melting ice cream.

A knock at his door startled him from this thought, and he croaked out a soft "come in" to his out of the blue visitor. Or visitors. The demon attempted a smile at Tanaka and, surprisingly enough, Ciel. The young earl hung back, glancing around almost nervously at the darkly colored room. The only color seemed to be the purple walls, and even those were dark. Of course, the pillows on the demon's bed were white, as were the curtains cutting out the fading sunlight, but it paled in comparison to the rest of the room.

"How are you feeling Sebastian?" Tanaka smiled not unkindly as he pressed a shaky hand to the other butler's forehead, checking for any remnants of the fever he'd had earlier.

"Must I answer that?" The demon sank back into his pillows, wine colored eyes sliding to where his young master stood. He realized this was the first time the boy had been in here since he'd decorated it - it felt more like home this way, all black and white with only a subtle touch of color. It took him a moment longer than he liked to notice the boy was in his night clothes - it must've been later than he thought.

"Ciel wanted to say goodnight. He wanted to check on you earlier but..."

"You were asleep, and I didn't want to wake you for something so trivial."

It was endearing to hear that the earl had actually _cared_ to check on him, despite the fact that one day he'd die at his hands. The thought of the boy's death made his stomach churn - or was that the illness? - and he had to close his eyes and swallow to ward the wave of nausea away.

"I thank you for your concern, young master, but it must be late; you shouldn't stay up for much longer, or else your sleep schedule will be thrown off balance." He hated the way his voice faltered, and resisted the urge to bite his own tongue for the harsh sound he was reduced to. It was then that he noticed the look in Ciel's eyes, and frowned; he recognized that look as one the boy had after a particularly gruesome nightmare.

Without saying a word, Sebastion lifted the covers up and motioned for Ciel to join him. The young boy didn't even hesitate to crawl in and settle beneath the black and violet covers, setting his head on a pillow and breathing in the comforting scent that always clung to Sebastian. He was a child in this moment, showing weakness to a demon that he knew would later exploit it and wave it in his face.

Sebastian shifted and slid an arm around his young master, using his free hand to gently brush the boy's bangs from his face. No matter how mature he acted, he was still just a child, and one in dire need of guidance. Not that he was to be the one to give that guidance.

"What do you think of me retiring?"

"...you could still live here."

"That's very kind of you, young master."

"There are those that would miss your presence here."

"Aww, young master, are you saying that _you_ would miss _me_? I'm touched."

"Shut up and let me sleep."

"Yes, my Lord." He chuckled, ignoring the pain it brought, and settled back against the pillows, drawing the little Phantomhive closer to him. Looking down at the young child, he resisted the urge to kiss him on the forehead, as he had once done out of pure instinct so two years ago. The first time Ciel slept in his bed after nightmares kept him up. Tanaka was still in the room after all.

Demon must not appear weak in front of humans. It wasn't appropriate behavior.

"Sleep well, Ciel." The boy was already slipping off into sleep, and only responded by curling closer to the sick demon. Well, he wouldn't be sick for much longer, as these bouts of illness never lasted for more than a day or two. Ciel stirred next to him, letting out a content sigh. With a blink of eyes the color of spilt wine, Sebastian snuffed out all but one of the candles in the room, giving a grateful nod to Tanaka as the old butler slipped out of the dark room.

This is what being cared for feels like?

It was...nice.

 **0000**

 **I'd appreciate some feedback about how this was, and if I should do anything else with it. And before you ask, this is not to be taken as Sebastian x Ciel. I like their relationship when it's more like a father/son thing, or strictly platonic. Not trying to hate on the ship, just my opinion.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and I hope no one was too out of character. Might make a third part just for Finny and Bard to fuss over Sebastian...or have Grell fuss over Sebastian.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I really did plan to keep this as a two shot guys, but because of the demand for it...here's another chapter. This is the last chapter I'll do for this though, so don't go askin' for a third. And now...**

 **My replies to reviews!**

 **Kimberly T :: I'm glad someone managed to see that~. Tanaka's an old man, he's worked for the Phantomhives for awhile now, it just makes sense that he might have seen a lot of questionable people and beings, so he probably at least suspects Sebastian isn't all** ** _completely_** **human.**

 **Please forgive my ignorance about Sebastian's reading abilities as well, I haven't watched the anime in a long while, and I've never read the manga, so I probably overlooked that fact. And yes, a romance novel. What other kind of book would Mey-Rin give him? Thank you for your review, I'll keep it in mind from now on!**

 **Promocat :: You've asked for it, and you've gotten it; Grell fussing over Sebastian. No jealous Ciel, I'm sorry to say.**

 **Aspiringwriter12 :: Were you resurrected?**

 **Sebastian's Cat :: Hehehe, I'm glad you liked it that much! To tell the truth, me and my dad don't have much of a good relationship anymore, and he's no longer a part of my life, so seeing Ciel, a character without any family at all, makes me immediately relate to him in a way. Sebastian seems like he'd be a good parent, Ciel obviously trusts him to a degree, and if you really look** ** _all the phantomhive servants could easily fit into a slot in a normal family,_** **and I guess that's sort of where my writing of them comes from...**

 **That dragged on. I'm sorry. Anyway, please enjoy this, and I really, really do appreciate every second you guys put into writing a review for this, or any story. Thanks again for your kind words!**

 **0000**

Two days. Sebastian had been sick for a total of two days, and he looked worse than yesterday. He had gotten paler, if that was even possible, and his sleep was restless and he often tossed and turned and he always woke up tired and achy.

The demon lay in his bed, turned on his side with his back to Tanaka. The grey haired steward had stayed by the butler's side since he'd fallen ill, though he was almost never left alone with the sick demon. Finny often came up with a rose from the garden (all of which had been placed in a vase on the bedside table), Mey-Rin came up with fresh towels and cold water every few hours, and Bard checked in every so often with tea and a bowl of actually decent soup or not-so-burnt toast.

It worried the others that Sebastian was getting worse, even more so when the food Bard brought up went back down untouched. At least he drank some of the tea, if only to reassure the servants that he was, indeed, alive and kicking still.

The door to the room opened slowly, and a head poked around it as if hesitant. Tanaka smiled and gestured for the person to enter with a quiet "come in".

"I...was simply wondering when he'd be able to work again." Ciel, despite his dismissive words, leaned over the bed to take in the state that his butler was in, concern evident in his one uncovered eye. "The doctor is on the way, he'll be here in another hour or two."

Sebastian stirred, curling into a tight ball amid the black blankets, hands gripping at the bedsheets. The earl sighed and turned to exit the room. He didn't want to admit that he was worried about the usual unshakable demon, but his condition just seemed to get worse and worse with every hour that passed. Even Soma had started asking if Sebastian was better, and Agni had offered his help around the mansion multiple times in the past day.

"Young master?" _Sebastian_. The demon had awoken, though he was barely able to lift his head to look at the young boy. "Did you need me?"

"No. As I've said before, your job right now is to rest and recover. I was simply telling Tanaka that the doctor is coming."

The faintest look of smug gloating crossed over Sebastian's face, and then he smiled at Ciel, which only accented how _exhausted_ the butler looked.

"So you do care. How touching young master."

"J-just shut up and rest! And that _is_ an order, Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord."

 **0000**

The doctor came and went, only giving them bad news; the only way for Sebastian to get better was to go somewhere the doctor claimed would cure him of his illness.

Ciel was immediately suspicious, and rightfully so; the medicine the doctor had left was an odd sort of poison, one that Agni had recognised from India. needless to say, the so called doctor lost everything Ciel, as a phantomhive, could make him lose.

"By tomorrow morning, Dr. Jones will have been run out of the country by his own malpractice. I've seen to it that his house will be burned to the ground just before he leaves, just so he remembers who, exactly, he attempted to poison." Ciel kicked off his shoes, climbed up into the bed beside his demonic servant and pulled the blanket firmly around Sebastian before curling into his side. The demon was fully awake now, and immensely amused that his young earl had taken such offense to someone trying to kill him. He was used to cuddling by now.

It wasn't like such an event wasn't common, and, even sick, there were no human poisons that could kill a demo of his stature. But the concern was still appreciated, in a twisted sort of way.

"I am flattered you care so much to sink to such actions. Might I inquire as to why Grell is standing in the doorway?"

"He spotted my carriage in the road and demanded to know your location." Ciel grumbled, turning his attention away from the demon and reaper to focus on the book he'd brought with him. "He claimed to want to see you and wouldn't leave me alone until I let him. Grell, just come in."

"Oh Sebas-chan!" Grell hurried to Sebastian's side the moment he was given permission, fussing over the butler in the loudest way possible. The demon kept giving the reaper exasperated looks, alternating with glaring down at his secretly smug master, arguing sternly that he didn't _want_ the mam there, before he finally gave in and just let the redhead mother him.

It wasn't like he had the strength to _stop_ Grell if the flamboyant reaper wanted to do anything to him anyway.

By the time Bard stepped in with the usual offer of not-so-burnt toast and tea Grell had situated himself on the side of Sebastian that wasn't already taken, and was quietly arguing with Ciel about the positive enforcement of healthy diets over the demon's head.

Not that said demon was paying any mind; he'd fallen into a peaceful sleep some time ago, head resting against Grell's shoulder. Bard left the food on the table and ran once outside the room to tell Mey-Rin and Finny what he'd just seen.

Tanaka only laughed a soft "ho ho ho" from the chair he'd been in, idly listening to Grell and Ciel argue and sipping his tea. Sebastian would be better in no time with those two fussing over him. Or he'd be sick of them. Either one.


End file.
